Picks of the Week: June 3 - 9, 2012

Website of the Week -- Nonprofit Trends
Nonprofit Trends is a blog by Steve MacLaughlin and covers a wide range of topics around the nonprofit sector with a focus on the trends shaping the nonprofit sector. Steve is the Director of Internet Solutions at Blackbaud and is responsible for leading how the company provides online solutions for its clients. Steve has spent more than 14 years building successful online initiatives with a broad range of Fortune 500 firms, government and educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations across the world. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and events including the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association (DMFA), Institute of Fundraising, National Association of Independent School (NAIS), Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), and other nonprofit organizations. Go to: http://www.nptrends.com.


Publication of the Week --  101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits: A Field Guide
From the publisher:  101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits features 101 actionable tactics that nonprofits can start using today, and most of the featured resources are free. Broken down into five key areas, this unique guide explains the steps and tools needed to implement each tactic, and provides many real-life examples of how nonprofits are using the tactics. With this book as your guide, you'll learn how leading nonprofit professionals around the world are leveraging social media to engage constituents, communicate their cause, and deliver on their mission.

• Presents immediately useful ideas for relevant impact on your organization's social presence so you can engage with supporters in new and inventive ways
• Features 101 beginner to intermediate-level tactics with real-life examples
• Offers a workable format to help nonprofits discover new ways of deploying their strategy
• Includes nonprofit social media influencers from leading nonprofits around the world including National Wildlife Federation, March of Dimes, and The Humane Society

Nonprofits know they need to start engaging with supporters through social media channels. This field guide to social media tactics for nonprofits will feature 101 beginner to intermediate-level tactics with real-life examples to help nonprofits discover new ways of deploying their strategy and meeting their social media objectives.
Click to preview this book on Amazon.com

Trend of the Week –  Foundation Program Related Investment Trends
According to Key Facts on Mission Investing, a report from the Foundation Center, more foundations are using their investment assets to achieve their missions. One-in-seven surveyed foundations are employing market-rate mission-related investments and/or below-market-rate program-related investments to achieve a social benefit. More than half of those making mission-related investments began doing so within the past five years. Other findings include:
· About one-in-seven surveyed respondents (14.1 percent) currently engage in mission investing, including program related investments (PRIs) and/or market-rate mission related investments (MRIs).
· Among those foundations that engage in mission investing, half hold PRIs, 28 percent invest in both PRIs and MRIs, and less than a quarter (22 percent) hold only MRIs.
· Foundation involvement in mission investing varies by foundation type, with community and independent foundations being more likely to hold mission investments than corporate foundations.
To download a copy of the report, go to: http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/keyfacts_missioninvesting2011.pdf.

Resource of the Week – W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide

Nonprofits today are being pressed to demonstrate the effectiveness of their program activities by initiating and completing outcome-oriented evaluation of projects. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide was developed to provide practical assistance to nonprofits engaged in this process. In the pages of this guide, we hope to give staff of nonprofits and community members alike sufficient orientation to the underlying principles of "logic modeling" to use this tool to enhance their program planning, implementation, and dissemination activities.  To access the guide, go to: http://www.wkkf.org/knowledge-center/resources/2006/02/WK-Kellogg-Foundation-Logic-Model-Development-Guide.aspx.

Tech Tip of the Week -- Quickly Change Font Size in Word

To quickly increase or decrease the font size of selected text by 1 point, do this:

·         Select Text
·         Ctrl + ] to increase by 1 point
·        Ctrl + [ to decrease by 1 point

This tip works in all PC versions of Word.